Little Hero

Title: Little Hero

Author: Nebula

Chapter: 1 of 4

Time Period: Post 'As You Were'

Rating: PG-13 (language and issues of abuse)

Summary: Take a Slayer. Turn her into a child. Add a dark past, a new enemy, a vampire with mixed emotions, and presto! The story you're about to be told.

Disclaimer: *sighs* I want Spike and Lindsey. Joss owns both, but he's been kind enough to share. So, I'm happy. ^_^

< --- >

The wind whipped around the headstones, playing in the girl's blonde hair. She almost tripped over a root, but told herself to keep running. Were they still behind her? A quick glance over her shoulder told her that they were.

Where was her mommy? She was so scared.she stumbled over a rock, and lost her balance. She screamed as one of the creatures landed on her.

"Wonder what she'll taste like?" he said, licking his lips.

"Save some for me! Little brat," the second muttered under his breath.

The first one laughed as she tried to get away. "Hold still, will ya? I can't eat you if you don't stop moving."

She screamed again as fangs grew into his mouth.

< --- >

Spike sat back in his chair, staring at the blank screen of the television. It had been two days since Buffy had rejected him, but it felt like last night. His heart ached in his chest, and decided it was time to get rid of the pain again.

As he reached for his brandy, high-pitched screams came from outside his crypt. He frowned. Didn't sound like Buffy. Maybe someone younger.

"Dawn," he breathed, his eyes widening. He grabbed his duster and ran outside.

He looked around until he spotted the source of the sound. He sighed with relief when he saw that it wasn't his Nibblet, but frowned when he estimated her age. She looked like she was only six or seven. What on earth was a little girl that age doing in a cemetery?

She was about to become a quick meal for two vampires, at that. Wondering briefly where Buffy was, Spike tackled the vampire that was on top of her.

The vampire snarled. "Look who it is," the second one said, getting into a fighting stance. "The traitor."

"He's been telling me about you," the first one hissed. "You betrayed the vampires to help the Slayer."

Spike smirked. "Glad I'm so well known 'round these parts."

They attacked at once, causing the girl to scream again. "Run!" Spike yelled at her. She didn't need to be told twice. She took off, and didn't look back.

Spike dealt with the vampires quickly enough, before looking around. He sniffed the air, pulling in her scent. It would be easier to find her that way. He could smell fear, youth, but something.familiar. Very familiar.

He followed the scent to a small clump of bushes. He peeked inside and found the girl sniffling, rubbing her ankle.

"Hurt your foot?" he asked with a smile.

She looked up, before screaming again. "Whoa, whoa, hey, it's just me, 'member?" he said, kneeling in front of her.

Her screaming stopped, but the look of terror remained on her face. She nodded slowly. "You.you look like them," she said, sniffling again.

He almost rolled his eyes. He must've gone into game face while fighting. He let his features slide back into human form, then smiled at her again.

"Are you.a good vampire?" she asked tentatively.

Spike chuckled. "Somethin' like that." He extended his hand to her. "Name's William."

"Do you have a nickname?" she asked.

He nodded. "Spike."

Her nose crinkled. "That's a funny name."

His smile grew. "Well then, let's hear yours."

"My name is Elizabeth," she said, giggling.

"Your friends give you a name, too?" he asked, enraptured with her smile. Her face lit up as she nodded eagerly.

"They call me Buffy!"

The world stopped moving. He stared at her, unable to believe what she'd just told him. "Bu-Buffy?" he stammered.

She nodded, then looked down at the ground. "They tease me 'bout it," she mumbled.

"Well, I get teased 'bout my name, too, so I guess we got somethin' in common."

She looked up and smiled shyly.

He frowned. "What happened to your ankle?" he asked, for the first time taking in her apparel. The skirt was huge around her waist, and flowed down to below her knees. Her shirt was a blouse with sleeves way too long for someone her age. She wore no shoes, and her hair was a tangled mess.

"I tripped over a tree, and fell down. I'm pretty klutzy, is what my mommy says."

He swallowed a lump forming in his throat. "What's your mum's name?" he asked softly.

"Joyce Summers," she said proudly. Then her face fell, and she looked ready to cry. "I lost my mommy, and I don't know where she is," she said, her lower lip trembling.

He smiled at her, brushing her hair away from her face. "Well, I've got some friends, and they can help you look for your mommy. You like cookies and hot chocolate?"

She giggled. "Silly. Who doesn't like them?"

"I bet they'll give you some," he said. "How old are you, Buffy?" he asked, wondering if he was right.

"I'm five!" she said, holding up her hand to show him.

Bloody 'ell, she was younger then he'd thought. Maybe Red could figure out what had happened to her. "Ready to go, pet?" he said, standing.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not a pet, I'm a girl!" she said, sounding exasperated. She pulled herself to a standing position, and whimpered. "Owie," she mumbled, as he bent down to examine her ankle.

"Caught it good and proper," he affirmed, holding his arms out to her. "You, uh, want to." he stammered.

He was surprised when she wrapped her arms around his neck and waited patiently for him to pick her up. "Will you carry me?" she asked.

He pulled her into his arms, amazed at her trust. She obviously knew he was a vampire, yet had no problem with him carrying her. Was this really the Buffy he knew and loved?

He'd find out soon enough. Making sure she was comfortable, he headed towards the Summers' residence.

< --- >

"Uh, everyone? We've got a bit of a small problem here," Spike said, coming in the front door. The Scoobies turned, taking in the image of Spike holding a little girl. He set her down gently, and she leaned against him while standing on her good foot.

Willow stood up, smiling at her. "Hey there cutie, what's your name?"

"I'm Buffy!" Buffy said proudly.

Willow's look went from kind to shocked in a matter of two seconds. All eyes turned to Spike, whose nod confirmed their worst fears.

"Told her she could have some cookies and cocoa if she came with me. She's lookin' for her mum," Spike added, watching the horror in their eyes rise higher.

Dawn cleared her throat. "Well Buffy, my name is Dawn," she said, smiling. "Do you like chocolate chip cookies?"

Buffy nodded eagerly.

"I think we've got some of those. Why don't you come with me, and we'll see what we can find, 'kay?"

"'Kay! Bye Spike," Buffy said, hopping after Dawn.

Dawn frowned as they headed towards the kitchen. "What happened to your ankle?"

"Oh, I tripped over a tree, but Spike was fighting vampires, and." Whatever else Buffy said was cut off as the two disappeared into the kitchen.

The three remaining Scoobies pounced on Spike the moment they were gone. "What happened to her?" Xander asked.

"Found her in the cemetery 'bout to become a snack. She's dressed like Buffy, and I thought maybe a spell had gone wrong," Spike said, looking pointedly at Willow.

Willow's face turned red. "I haven't touched a spell or magic for ages! Point your finger somewhere else."

Just then, Tara walked in. "Buffy, I've got the.oh. H-hello, Willow," she said softly.

Willow smiled, before looking at her feet. "Hi," she said, sounding bashful.

"We're havin' a small problem, Glinda," Spike said.

Tara frowned. "Anything I can help with?"

"It's not a small problem, it's huge!" Xander exclaimed.

"Actually, she's very tiny," Anya offered in Spike's defense. All eyes turned to her. "Just in case you forgot," she added.

"What happened, exactly?" Tara asked.

Willow bit her lip. "Uh, first of all, I had nothing to do with this. Just to make this clear with everyone," she said, stressing the last word while glaring at Spike. Spike rolled his eyes.

"I just came by to drop this off for Buffy," Tara said, holding up a bag of herbs. "She wanted some relaxing tea."

"She's in the kitchen," Spike said suddenly. "Why don't you go give them to her?"

Tara looked at them all strangely, but nodded and headed into the kitchen.

She came back a few minutes later, her eyes wide. "Is that really her?" she asked quietly.

They nodded. "Okay," Tara said, before almost dropping her bag of herbs. "I need to sit down."

Willow immediately cleared the couch of books so Tara could sit. The other Scoobies found seats and filled her in on the situation. Spike ended up telling the whole story, leaving them even more confused.

"That's some powerful magic," Tara commented. "You can feel it surrounding her."

"You could feel it too?" Willow said. "I mean, I might not do magic anymore, but the waves it's giving off.I'm just surprised you guys can't feel it!"

"Any idea how it was done?" Spike asked, looking worried.

Tara shook her head. "That would require some time and lots of research. W-we should keep an eye on her until we figure it out."

Xander was about to reply when a young babbling voice silenced him. ".And what's your favorite color?"

Dawn came in, holding Buffy's right hand in her left. "My favorite color?" Dawn said, pretending to think. "Hmm.I like purple. And light blue is very pretty, too. What about you?"

"'Lellow!" Buffy exclaimed, before realizing what she'd just said. She began to chew on her bottom lip, looking down at the floor.

Willow frowned slightly before kneeling in front of Buffy. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"I can't say that word," she mumbled.

"Ahhh," Tara said, smiling. "You mean 'yellow'?"

Buffy nodded, looking disheartened.

Willow grinned. "I used to never be able to say that word, either."

"Really?" Buffy asked, looking up.

"Really," Willow confirmed, holding her hand out. "I'm Willow."

Buffy shook her hand, grin firmly back in place. "I'm Elizabeth," she said, her tongue curling as she struggled to sound the whole word out. The sight was enough to almost make the group laugh. "Peoples call me Buffy, though."

"Nice to meet you," Willow said. "These are my friends Tara, Xander, and Anya," she said, pointing at each person as she called out their names. "You already know Spike and Dawn, right?"

Buffy nodded emphatically. "Spike saved me, and Dawn gave me cookies!" She was about to say more when she yawned.

"Let's get you to bed, sleepy-head," Dawn said, squeezing her sister's hand. Buffy nodded and was about to head upstairs, before she looked back. She quickly let go of Dawn's hand and ran over to Spike, hugging him.

Spike was surprised, but even more so when she whispered in his ear, "Goodnight, Spike." She let go and waved to everyone before heading upstairs, her hand once again tightly in Dawn's.

The Scoobies watched her disappear, smiles on their faces. Spike was beaming. She was adorable. So full of life, smiles, and energy.

"What happened to her?" Xander asked, apparently voicing everyone's question.

Spike sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Dunno. Obviously, somethin' drastic happened between the age she's at now and the age she's s'posed to be."

"She's so.alive," Willow said, sitting back with a smile. "And completely adorable. I don't think I've ever seen her smile so much."

"She seemed really upset about that yellow thing," Xander commented.

Spike frowned. "Mentioned somethin' 'bout the kids teasin' her 'cause of her nick-name. Got that same downcast look and everythin'."

"Elizabeth is her real name?" Anya asked, perplexed.

Dawn came down just in time to hear Anya's question and nodded. "You didn't think Buffy was her real name, did you? The birth certificate says 'Elizabeth Anne Summers'."

Tara smiled at Dawn as the teen took a seat. "Is she in bed?"

Dawn nodded. "Yep. Took a little explaining that it was a guest room, but then she wanted to know why there were pictures and things in the room."

Spike winced. "You explained it?"

"I just told her there was no where else to put them. That's all."

A few sighs of relief went through the room. "If that's settled, why don't we meet back here tomorrow for research," Willow suggested, then looked away from Tara. "T-that is, if you want to," she added quietly.

Tara looked a little surprised, before she began to smile. "I'll be here," she said softly, causing Willow to look up.

"You guys may want to come a little early," Xander suggested. "Unless you've got clothes for little girls her size in the house."

Dawn nodded eagerly. "I'll take her shopping tomorrow."

"We'll assist," Tara added, with another gentle smile in Willow's direction. Willow looked hopeful.

"If that's taken care of, I'd like to head home and." Anya started, but was cut off by Xander.

"Relax! That's right, relax, just the two of us, and Ahn, please don't finish that sentence," he said, heading off into the night.

Spike looked up the stairs, then back at Willow. "She'll be fine," Willow said, smiling.

He nodded. "If you need anythin', well."

"We know where you are. We'll come get you if anything happens, but we'll be fine," Dawn said, shooing him out the door. "Bye!"

"'Night, Bit."

He had almost made it to the end of the sidewalk when Tara came running up to him. "Somethin' wrong?" he asked, worried.

Tara shook her head. "Stop worrying," she said, panting slightly. "I just wanted you to walk me to my building. It's on the way to your crypt, and being outside alone is dangerous this time of night."

Spike's eyes widened, before he frowned, puzzled. Glinda could defend herself well enough if someone tried to attack her. Also, she usually would've asked first. The tone of her voice and the words she used sounded like a command. Wordlessly he nodded, walking by her side.

As they headed towards her building, she said softly, "I know."

Now he was even more confused. "Glinda, try and explain things in.less simple terms," he said, looking over at her.

She glanced up at him, and Spike was surprised to see a sad look in her eyes. "I know about you and Buffy. What you've been doing," she said, turning slightly red.

"What we've." Spike stopped walking. Tara stopped as well, turning to stare at him.

"Buffy told me," she said, answering his unspoken question. "She wanted to know if there was something wrong with her. She kept telling me that she'd come back wrong."

Spike cringed as his own words came back at him. "She didn't," he started, but Tara cut him off.

"I know that. I did a few tests, and Buffy came back as Buffy, with only a few DNA changes. She's still Buffy, but the small changes were enough for your chip to not recognize her anymore. She didn't believe me when I told her, and that's when she broke down and told me."

"How much?" he asked, not knowing whether this was a good thing or not.

"Everything."

Spike swallowed. "Oh," was all he managed to say. When he finally managed to look up and meet her eyes, he saw nothing but kindness in them.

Tara smiled sadly. "The secret would've killed her, Spike. She had to tell someone. I was that someone. I haven't told anyone else. I had hoped she would've, or maybe you would've."

"I was thinkin' 'bout it myself," Spike admitted. "If I'd said it first, though, and Buffy had denied it.let's just say I would've been dust in the wind."

She nodded. "I understand. I think telling me made it more real, and she realized what she had to do, so she broke up with you."

He chuckled bitterly. "She tell you? How long did you party?"

"Spike, please understand this: she had to break up with you. It would've eventually harmed, if not killed, you both. It was already doing some damage, and I don't just mean physically."

He looked down at the ground. He knew what she was saying was true; he just didn't want to admit it.

"She didn't come home and celebrate, either." Spike lifted his head at her words, looking confused. "She didn't tell me, even though I was there, and no one else was."

She looked him straight in the eyes and said calmly, "She went upstairs, locked herself in her room, and sobbed. That's when I knew she'd finally told you."

He could feel tears stinging his eyes, but refused to let them out. "Why are you tellin' me all this?" he asked, rubbing his eyes with his sleeve.

"Because young children are very impressionable."

"And? That's it?"

Tara gave him a knowing look, and Spike's eyes widened as he understood what she was getting at. "Don't blow it this time," she said, walking into the darkness.

"Don't you want me to walk you all the way?" he called.

He could hear her laughter, and it reminded him of sunshine. "Spike, I can take care of myself. Don't worry about me. Worry about your tomorrow."

Spike grinned as he watched her disappear. He had his second chance with Buffy. Here was the best time to fix things between them. He could show her, show them, that he could be a better man.

Still grinning, he turned and headed towards his crypt.

< --- >

She ran through the cemetery, chasing after the vampire. She wouldn't let him get away this time.

"Spike!" she yelled. "Hurry up!"

She didn't bother looking behind her; she knew Spike would be right behind her. Surprisingly, however, he didn't make a sarcastic comment. Odd.

She jumped on the vampire in front of her and pulled out her stake. "Meet the Slayer," she said, staking him.

She turned when she realized he was dust. "That's it?" she asked.

"Not exactly," a voice said from behind her.

She turned just in time to see Spike grab her shoulders. "What do you want, you undead roach?" she said, trying to squirm out of his grasp.

For some reason, her Slayer strength was failing her right then. Spike winced at her words. "I can be a better man," he said, still not letting her go. "Let me prove it to you."

"Let go of me!" she yelled, kicking him. He fell to the ground, moaning in pain. She turned to walk away, shrieking as the jaws closed around her.

Buffy gasped and sat up in the big bed. She bit her bottom lip so she didn't scream. The room was so dark, and the shadows were odd shaped. Scary looking, too. Mommy always left a nightlight on. She knows how scared Buffy can get. Where is she?

Then Buffy remembered. She'd been walking in the cemetery, for some reason, when she'd tripped over a root. When she'd gotten up, the world had seemed lots bigger. That's when the monsters had attacked.

Spike had saved her, and had taken her to Dawn's house. She had talked to Dawn about her favorite colors, and had embarrassed herself when she couldn't say them. But.it was strange. No one had made fun of her.

These people were nicer then her friends back home. She liked Spike, even though he talked funny.

Her bottom lip trembled as she thought about her dream. She'd been so mean to him. She didn't know why, either. She hoped he wasn't mad at her.

And why was she a Slayer? What was a Slayer?

Whimpering, she laid back on the pillows and wished for morning to come quicker.

< --- >

Willow smiled as a sleepy-eyed Buffy stumbled into the kitchen the next morning. "Hey there," she said, kneeling in front of the little girl. "Did you sleep well?"

Buffy rubbed the sleep from her eyes, before nodding with a big smile. "I dreamt of kitties!"

Willow laughed. "Kitties, huh? Well, how about some breakfast? I can make pancakes. Do you like pancakes?"

Buffy nodded eagerly. "With lotsa surryup!"

Willow had to turn so Buffy wouldn't see her laughing. "I think I can arrange that," she said, when she'd calmed down enough to talk. "We get to go shopping afterwards for clothes. Does that sound good?"

Dawn came downstairs, almost bumping into a jumping Buffy. "What's with the hyper energy here?" she asked, laughing.

"We're gonna go shopping!"

Dawn winked at Willow. "Really? That's great!"

Xander hurried in the front door, letting Spike in after him. Spike quickly stomped on his burning blanket and looked around. "Mornin', Nibblet," he said, grinning at Dawn.

"Nice entrance," she replied, giggling.

"Do either of you want pancakes?" Willow asked. Both men nodded and Willow set about making more.

Spike looked around until a glimmer of gold caught his attention. Ah, there she was; smiling and laughing. He walked over and smiled at Buffy. She was wearing one of older Buffy's t-shirts, which made a perfect sleep shirt.

"Mornin' pet," he said. To his surprise, she stopped laughing, bit her lip and looked down.

"What's wrong?" he coaxed, frowning slightly. She seemed upset.

"I.well.um." She kept her eyes on the floor, her hands fidgeting in front of her.

"You can tell me," he said, smiling at her. "M'not gonna get mad, promise. Tell Spike what's wrong."

She looked up then, and Spike was shocked to see tears in her eyes. "You're.not mad?"

"Why would I be mad?" he asked, more perplexed then ever.

She was about to answer when it dawned on her that it had been a dream. It hadn't been real. She was stupid to think it was. "Nothing," she mumbled. She felt her face flame as she realized everyone had grown quiet and were now staring at the two. She looked down, feeling utterly embarrassed. The tears that had been held back were now freely flowing down her face, as she stared at her fidgeting hands, frustrated with herself.

When she'd mumbled her answer, Spike had turned and stared questioningly at everyone else. They'd all shrugged, just as puzzled as he was.

He turned back and was stunned to see her crying. Her lower lip would straighten out, then tremble as she fought to stop the tears.

He pulled her into his arms and just held her. He rubbed circles on her back, hoping it would calm her.

It did. The drops he felt on his neck soon stopped, but he continued to hold her after she'd finished crying. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" he murmured.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, tears stinging her eyes again. She pulled away, sniffling, trying to dry her eyes. "Sh-shouldn't cry."

Spike wiped away a few stray tears. "Nonsense; there's nothin' wrong with cryin', pet."

Buffy shook her head sadly. "Only b-babies cry," she said, as if it were the gospel truth.

"Who told you that?" Willow asked, frowning.

Buffy looked up, surprised, as she had forgotten about the others in the room. "The kids at school."

"Oh, your friends?" Dawn asked, smiling.

"Nuh uh," Buffy said, shaking her head. "They don't wanna be my friend. They always say I'm a.a." She bit her lip again.

"Ya know, you can hurt your lip if you keep doing that," Xander commented, then softened his voice. "What do they call you?"

Buffy mumbled something under her breath. Spike frowned and leaned forward slightly. Even with his vampire hearing, he hadn't picked that one up. "Say that again, kitten," he said, pleased when she giggled.

"M'not a kitten, I'm a girl, silly," she said, before her smile faded. "It's a.a." Her mouth twisted a few times before she said, "'Lellow-belly."

"A yellow-belly?" Dawn translated. Buffy nodded sadly. "Do you know what that is?"

Buffy nodded again. "'Fraidy-cat."

Spike wrapped her in his arms, the urge to kill someone stronger then ever. His Slayer, afraid? Not a chance. This was his Buffy they were talking about. "Don't listen to them, sweetie. Just mean lil' brats."

"They're right, though," Buffy said, looking ashamed. "M'scared of everything."

Okay, when she actually admitted it, it was a little harder to argue with. The others were apparently facing the same predicament.

Dawn snapped her fingers, pulling everyone from their thoughts. "You're scared of everything, right?"

Buffy nodded, looking glum.

"That can't be true. Are you scared of Spike?"

Spike began to smile when he realized what Dawn was on to. Thank you, Nibblet! "No," Buffy said slowly.

"Why not? He's a vampire. See? Show her, Spike."

Spike nodded and switched into game face. Buffy just looked at him, before giggling. "Your face is all bumpy."

"See? He's got fangs, though. Sharp, toothy fangs! Aren't you scared?" Dawn said, as Spike growled, demonstrating said fangs.

Buffy just giggled more. "I think they're cute."

Spike immediately switched back into human face, looking upset. "I'm cute?" he complained, mock-glaring at Buffy. Buffy only laughed more.

"There goes my ego," he muttered, before breaking into laughter himself. Her happiness was contagious, and soon the whole kitchen was full of the sound of laughing.

"So see? You're not scared of everything," Dawn finished, looking pleased with herself.

Buffy, still giggling, managed to nod. "Guess not," she said, before hugging Spike. "His fangs are like kitty teeth. Kitties are cute, so he is, too!"

Spike closed his eyes and buried his face in her hair. He continued to hug her, unaware of the sound he was emitting.

Buffy noticed, however. "He's just a big kitty!" she exclaimed, looking up and grinning. "He's purring, too!"

Willow raised her eyebrow. She'd read about vampires purring when they were exceedingly happy, but had never heard it before. Buffy was right; he sounded like one big, happy cat. It was cute.

Spike grinned. "Guess I am, aren't I? Red, don't forget 'bout breakfast."

"Breakfast? OH!" Willow yelped, hurrying back to the pancakes.

< --- >

When the four women returned later, Anya had joined the group. Buffy waltzed in, then spun around, showing off her new attire. The Scoobies 'ooooo'ed and 'ahhhh'ed appropriately.

"We got lotsa stuff!" Buffy said, beaming.

"What color was the hat we got?" Tara asked, setting a bag down on the ground.

Buffy paused, then looked around the room, biting her lip again. "No more lip biting," Xander admonished, before smiling. "C'mon, give it a try."

Buffy glanced over at Spike, her eyes seeking.approval? Spike gave her a smile and nodded. "Go ahead, kitten."

"Ya," Tara said, sounding out the letter 'y'.

"Ya!" Buffy repeated with a grin.

"Good! Now, yellow," Tara said, saying the word slowly.

"Ya.ya.ya-'lellow!" Her face fell as she said the word incorrectly again.

Spike smiled at her. "Don't worry 'bout it; you'll get it."

Buffy looked up, hopeful. "Really?"

"Really." Spike watched as her smile rose again.

"Okay! Can we have pizza for dinner?"

Willow laughed. "What do you want on it?"

"Hmmm.how 'bout pep'roni, and cheese, and.and lotsa garlic sauce!" She stopped, then turned to Spike, frowning. She turned back to Willow and said, "Just pep'roni and cheese."

"You sure about the garlic sauce?" Willow said, looking puzzled. "We can put anything you want on it."

"That's okay," Buffy said, before tugging Willow's hand. When Willow leaned down, Buffy whispered in her ear, "Spike's a vampire, silly. Doncha know: all vampires are 'llergic to garlic!"

Willow nodded sagely, then looked up at Spike, who had heard it all. He was smiling slightly, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Spike couldn't believe that she'd actually thought about him. She had actually given up something because she'd thought about him first. It didn't matter that it was something small like garlic sauce on a pizza; she had still thought about it and put him first. He was soaring on Cloud 9.

"Wanna come help me, Buff?" Xander asked, hurrying off towards the phone.

"Yeah! And.you called me Buff," she said, slowing to a halt.

"Um, yeah? What's the matter?" he asked, turning around.

"You.you gave me a nickname. Does that mean th-that we're friends?"

Spike looked at the bewildered looks on the women's faces, then at Xander, then back at Buffy. She was biting her lip again, looking downcast.

"Of course we're friends!" Xander said, bending down in front of her. "We're all your friends."

Buffy looked around at the nodding heads, her eyes once again landing on Spike. Why did she always do that, like she wanted assurance from him and him only? "He couldn't be more right, pet."

Spike could've sworn her eyes lit up. "Okay," she said, then giggled. "Okay! I've got friends!"

With that, she danced off, twirling and spinning in her new dress.

"Anyone care to strangle a few little kids?" Xander said, as everyone exchanged looks.

Almost everyone's hands went up, except for one person. "Spike?!" Dawn said, staring at him like he was crazy.

"Would've thought that you would've been the first person to answer to that call," Anya said.

Spike shook his head, frowning slightly. "Can't place my finger on it, but I don't think it's the kids. Somethin' else entirely that's makin' this problem. And I mean to find out what it is."

Title: Little Hero

Author: Nebula

Chapter: 2 of 4

Time Period: Post 'As You Were'

Rating: PG-13 (language and issues of abuse)

Summary: Take a Slayer. Turn her into a child. Add a dark past, a
new enemy, a vampire with mixed emotions, and presto! The story
you're about to be told.

Disclaimer: *sighs* I want Spike and Lindsey. Joss owns both, but
he's been kind enough to share. So, I'm happy. ^_^

< --- >

She was running again. She was always running.
"Spike, c'mon, I told you to lay off!"
"What's the matter, pet? Please, talk to me. I love…"
She turned around, glaring. "NO! You can't love. You don't have
a soul."
Spike cringed and looked at her, tears stinging his eyes. "Buffy,
please…"
"You know what? This is something I've needed to do for a long
time." She pulled out her stake, and swung forward.
Spike's face went from grief-stricken to shocked in the seconds he
had left. "Buffy," he whispered, unable to believe she had actually
staked him. He turned to ashes before her eyes.
She turned around, satisfied. Finally! He wouldn't bother her
anymore. She gasped as large teeth descended on her. She was
surprised when they didn't bite her, but picked her up.
As she realized where they were taking her, she wondered if being
eaten was really all that bad. "NOOOOOO!!!" she screamed, as the
teeth tossed her into the grave. She kept falling, her screams
making her throat sore. There was no bottom….
Buffy sat up in bed, covering her mouth before she screamed. Why
was she always so mean to him? Spike was her friend. She kept
hurting him.
She could hear someone shifting in their bed, and froze. She
couldn't wake anyone up. She'd get into trouble.
Once she was sure she wasn't going to scream, she laid back down,
trying to calm down. "I'm sorry," she whispered into the night,
before closing her eyes.
I'm sorry, Spike…

< --- >

The next two days were seemingly nothing out of the ordinary.
Buffy was a part of the group now. Any time they weren't
babysitting her, they were researching. Nothing had turned up so
far.
It was now Saturday, and the group was tired. They were sitting
in Buffy's living room, looking through another batch of books.
"Where's Buffy?" Willow asked, looking up briefly from her stack.
Dawn nodded towards the left, to where Buffy was quietly playing
with a few dolls in the corner.
"She's five, and she's so quiet," Anya remarked. "Isn't that odd
for a child her age?"
Spike nodded, looking over at the love of his life. "Still can't
figure out what it is that's buggin' her. I will, though."
Xander sighed and slammed the book he was reading closed. "That's
IT," he said, falling back onto the sofa, "I quit."
Everyone had turned at the sound of his loud slamming and voice,
and had been about to voice their agreements when a small motion
caught their eye. Everyone turned back to the corner, and realized
the motion had been Buffy jumping. She wasn't playing with her
dolls anymore, either. She was just sitting there, as if waiting to
hear what happened next.
"Sweetie, are you okay?" Tara asked.
Buffy jumped again, then looked over at Tara. For a split second,
Spike saw nothing but terror in her wide green eyes. Then her face
was all smiles. "Yep," she said, holding up her dolls. "I named my
dolls. They're going to the park!"
"That's cool. Are there swings and stuff?" Xander asked, his
expression slightly cloudy. The other Scoobies looked the same. So
he hadn't been the only one to pick up on her fear, Spike mused.
Buffy nodded. "Of course! I like the swings, but I don't like to
go too high. I get scared `cause I might fall off."
"What about the slides?" Willow asked. "Are you scared of those,
too?"
Buffy nodded emphatically. "I don't like the slides."
Dawn cleared her throat. "Time for bed, kiddo."
If Buffy's eyes had been fear-filled before, they were nothing
compared to now. As she looked around at the Scoobies who were
beginning to frown deeper, she smiled brilliantly. "Okay!" She
waved goodbye to everyone and headed up the stairs, Dawn trailing
after her.
"She looked terrified," Willow said. "She looked really scared.
It was creeping me out just looking at her face."
Spike put his face in his hands. What could it be? He'd been
over a million possible reasons for her fear. Then why couldn't he
figure this out?
Because he didn't want to. He was scared himself. Scared of what
she was afraid of. He didn't want to know what had her crying and
wide-eyed. Even if he knew what it was, he wasn't sure he would
like the answer, or be able to fix the problem. That's what he was
scared of.

< --- >

"You ready?"
Buffy nodded. "All set!"
"Okay." Dawn hugged her sister, then smiled as she left the
room. "Good night!"
"'Night," Buffy said, as Dawn shut the door behind her. The
moment the door closed, Buffy shut her eyes tight.
She was afraid to fall asleep again. She hated those nightmares.
She didn't have nice dreams anymore. Just nasty nightmares.
That's why, when Dawn had said it was time for bed, her heart had
skipped a few beats. The others hadn't looked happy at her face, so
Buffy had smiled. She would go to bed like Dawn had asked her to.
Maybe she just wouldn't…..fall….asleep….
Within seconds she had drifted off to sleep.

< --- >

"She's in bed," Dawn said, coming down the stairs. "You mind
telling me what the hell is going on?"
She was reprimanded for her language, before they began to discuss
it. "She didn't give you any grief going down for the night?"
Xander asked. "She looked pretty spooked when you said `bed'."
"Did she say anything?" Tara asked next.
Dawn shook her head no to both. "She was all smiles when I shut
the door. Just said `good night'; that was basically it."
She turned to Spike, who still had his head in his hands. "You
okay?" Dawn asked softly, crouching next to him.
He sighed and pulled up to look at her. "Just hate seein' her
this way, that's all. I mean, how can this be the Buffy we all know
and love? She's got her smiles, sure, and her lil' giggles, but
she's scared. I've never seen Buffy scared. Okay, a few times,
yeah. Not as much as her little version."
"I hate to admit it, but Spike's got a point," Xander said with a
sigh. "She's way different. And I'm not talking about age."
"T-this could have been a side effect of the spell that made her
small," Tara offered. "It's not likely, b-but it's possible."
"Just hope she's okay," Spike mumbled, looking miserable.

< --- >

She was running again. "Spike! C'mon, we're going to lose him!"
"No."
She turned, frustrated. "What? Why not?"
Suddenly Spike wasn't there. "Hello?" she called into the eerie
blackness. The cemetery wasn't usually this dark.
Something moved behind her, and she screamed as she recognized the
teeth. They grabbed her arm and bit down. Hard. "SPIKE! Help
me!!"
She screamed in pain and turned around. There he was! Wait, what
the…?
"Spike?" she asked, as he finally looked up. Her eyes widened as
she saw the stake pointing out of his chest.
"Why?" he asked sadly, before disappearing into fine dust.
"What? I didn't…" She never finished as she gazed down at the
stake, now firmly held by her right hand.
"No," she whispered, realizing the thing wasn't biting her
anymore. She began to run, knowing the beast was behind her.
Run, run, run… "I didn't kill him, I didn't do it, I didn't, I
didn't," she began to mumble to herself. It soon became her mantra
as she tried to outrun the beast.
She tripped. She fell headfirst into a nearby grave, and hit
something soft. She looked around and realized she was in a coffin.
She looked up and saw the beast. His teeth were blood red, and he
was so scary…she'd never been this scared before, whenever she
patrolled. She screamed as the teeth came down on her, blood
dripping everywhere, and suddenly the coffin WAS the monster, and it
was grabbing at her, tearing her apart…
Buffy bolted up and couldn't hold it in anymore. Her whole body
shook as she did the only thing she could do.
She screamed.

< --- >

Willow was about to suggest an idea when they all heard the blood-
curdling scream from upstairs. Spike was the first one up, running
as fast as he could for the stairs. The other Scoobies were right
behind him.
He made it up in record time, and found Buffy sitting up in bed,
screaming her lungs out. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and her whole
body was shaking violently.
Dawn cringed at the volume of the screams and covered her ears.
Her sister had a voice.
Spike ran in and grabbed her. Her eyes shot open and she screamed
louder, her eyes not registering Spike.
"It's me! Buffy, it's me," he yelled above the screaming. "You
need to calm down and breathe, all right? Take a deep breath, and
then you can keep screamin' if you want. If you don't take a breath
now, you're gonna pass out."
Buffy stopped screaming and began to inhale, only to choke a
couple of times. She coughed, then settled on sobbing.
Spike gathered the petite body in his arms and rocked her against
him. "Shhh…it's all right. I've got you," he whispered, as she
continued to cry.
She hiccuped a few times, before she began to wipe at her eyes
furiously, saying, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," over and over again.
"What do you mean, you're sorry?" Spike asked gently, his heart
breaking into a thousand pieces at the sight.
Buffy sniffled, before she managed to choke out, "I-I'm a b-b-big
girl now, a-and I sh-shouldn't cry `nanymore…"
"Shhh…hey, it's okay. I mean, he still cries, and he's a grown
man," Spike said, jerking his head slightly over to Xander.
"Hey!" Xander complained jokingly. Buffy giggled slightly, then
continued to cry into Spike's shoulder.
"I-I s-screamed, too," she mumbled.
"What's wrong with that?" Dawn asked, confused.
"Woke everybody up."
Tara shook her head. "Sweetie, we weren't sleeping. We stay up
late. It's okay; if you need us, and we are asleep, you can always
call and we'll come. We promise."
"Why were you screaming?" Anya asked.
Buffy looked down at her lap, before whispering, "Bad dream."
"I get those too. They're not nice," Dawn started, but Buffy
shook her head.
"I have bad dreams every night," Buffy said.
Willow frowned. "Wait a minute. You've been telling me about
your dreams. About the kittens, and unicorns? Buffy, were you
lying to me?"
Buffy tried to shrink in Spike's lap. "I'm sorry," she sniffled.
To Buffy's surprise, Willow came over and hugged her. "It's okay;
you can tell me the truth. I'm not gonna get mad `cause you had
icky dreams."
Buffy sniffled again. "Really?"
"Really," Willow confirmed with a smile.
Spike shifted her so he was looking Buffy in the eye, then asked
quietly, "What do you dream about?"
He had almost expected the tears that started up again. "I…I'm…"
"Sorry, we know," Spike said, smiling. "You don't have to be.
We're your friends, kitten. Just tell us what's wrong, and we'll
try and fix it, `kay?"
Buffy nodded. "'Kay." She took two shuddering breaths before
continuing. "I-I dream `bout being big. Like I'm all growed up.
I'm a Slayer."
Spike's eyes widened. She dreamt Slayer dreams? He looked up at
everyone's panic-stricken faces. Oh, no…
"What's a Slayer?" she asked, sniffling.
Dawn leaned forward before anyone could stop her and said, "It's a
girl who kills the vampires."
"Dawn!" came the horrified gasp from Xander and Willow.
"Oh," was all Buffy said. Spike bit his lip. How exactly would
she take this?
Surprisingly, better then he thought. "Only the bad vampires,
right?" she asked.
Dawn smiled and nodded. "That's right. Only the bad ones."
Buffy began to tear up. "Then I'm a bad Slayer, `cause I hurt
good vampires. I-In my dream, I do."
"How do you know if the vampire is good?" Anya asked, looking
puzzled.
Tears streamed down Buffy's face as she hiccuped, "Spike's a good
vampire, and I keep hurting him in my dreams, even though I don't
wanna, but I can't stop growed up me, and I'm sorry Spike, I'm
sorry…"
"Hush, it's okay," he soothed, rubbing her back. Inside he was a
mess. Were they dreams of what had happened in previous years?
What if she dreamed about…oh, those were memories for much older
people, not children.
"Spike's always trying to help me `scape from this monster," she
said. "It's big an' nasty, and it's trying to throw me. He throws
me in a hole, and I keep falling, and I'm so scared…"
Spike hugged her closer. He could feel tears sliding down his
face, but refused to acknowledge them.
Dawn came over and wrapped her arms around her sister,
whispering, "We're here, we're here," over and over like a mantra.
The other Scoobies joined her, but Tara was the only one who wrapped
her arms around Buffy and Spike, who needed a little TLC as well.
Spike was already a mess of emotions, but when Buffy
whimpered, "Mommy…" that was it. Xander took Buffy wordlessly from
Spike and cradled her in his arms, while Dawn and Tara gathered the
sobbing vampire in theirs.
They took him out of her room while Xander got Buffy into bed once
more. "Is he going to be okay? He hasn't cried that much since
Buffy died," Dawn whispered as the vampire collapsed onto the
ground, sobs wracking his body.
Tara bit her lip. "Go get some of my poppy tincture, just in case
I need to calm him down."
Spike shook his head, as he tried to calm down. "M'fine," he
stuttered, sniffling.
"Sure?"
He looked up with glistening eyes and tried to smile. "Be fine,
Bit. Promise."
Dawn nodded, completely unconvinced. She was about to say more
when Anya came out, looking slightly stressed.
"She keeps calling for Spike. Xander told me to come get you,
before she cries out the ocean."
"You up to this?" Tara asked gently.
Spike nodded. "She needs me," he said, rising to his
feet. "'Sides, think I'll do better when I see her."
Tara accepted that and nodded towards Buffy's room.
Xander and Willow looked relieved when Spike entered. Buffy was
crying still, and the volume was rising.
"Call me if you need anything, sweetie," Willow said quickly,
before she and Xander hurried from the room.
Spike sighed and sat down beside her. Her face was completely red
and tear-stained, and her lower lip was trembling.
"What's wrong, kitten?" he said, wrapping his arms around her.
She snuggled against him, the crying dissolving into hiccups. "I-
I c-can't sleep," she said, wiping furiously at the
tears. "Monsters keep coming f-for me. I want my mommy," she
whimpered.
Her tiny voice almost had Spike crying again, but he straightened
his chin and said as steady as he could, "I know, Buffy. I know."
He pulled away slightly so he could look her in the eye and smiled
sadly. "Why don't you go to sleep, `kay?"
"Nooo!!" she wailed. "They'll get me!"
"No they won't," Spike soothed, kissing her forehead. "I
promise. I'll protect you. Nothin' will hurt you."
Spike was prepared to argue, so he was shocked when she nodded,
gave him one last hug, and laid down. The enormity of what she was
doing wasn't lost on him: she trusted him.
Spike kept her hand in his and tried to think of an idea. What
could he do to ease her mind? Sing? Recite his bloody awful
poetry? In the end, he decided to tell her stories of the glorious
Slayer she would soon become. He told her how she fell in love with
a vampire that was charming (he tried not to gag at the thought of
Angel) and told her about the friends she met on the way.
He hadn't even passed the point where she had dethroned the Master
of all vampires when he heard a small sound. He looked over and
smiled. She was even cute when she slept. Her golden hair hung
around her face, and her tiny hand in his had his smile broadening.
Laying a soft kiss to her forehead, he exited the room to find all
the Scoobies standing anxiously at the door.
They were about to speak up when Spike shushed them. "She just
got to sleep," he hissed. "Head downstairs."
They had barely reached the bottom step when Dawn burst out, "Is
she okay?"
Spike nodded. "She's fine. She was upset `cause the monsters
would get her." He frowned, the anguish on her little face still
fresh in his mind. He shuddered and tried to wipe away the image.
"So you stayed with her?" Anya asked. "I hear that's good for
children."
Spike nodded, noticing Tara's small grin. "Yeah. Told the story
of the Slayer."
The grin disappeared. "T-The whole thing?" Tara asked cautiously.
Spike shook his head, as Xander glared at him. "Just the
beginnin' I know of. She became the Slayer, she made some friends,
and fell in love with a great hero that turned out to be a vampire,"
he added bitterly.
The others accepted that, and Xander stopped shooting eye-daggers
at Spike. Tara didn't seem convinced, however, and caught Spike's
eye, motioning towards the back door. He nodded and followed her
out.
Once outside, she asked him quietly, "You told her about Angel?"
He nodded. "Yeah. Made him a real angel in her eyes. She didn't
even ask if he was a bad vampire," he said, tears stinging his eyes.
Tara wrapped her arms around the vampire, and let him cry
again. "You're doing the right thing," she consoled, letting him go.
He nodded sadly. "Know that. Just…hurts, that's all. Maybe if
his name was Lucifer, or Devil…"
Tara laughed. "Interesting idea. Love is a very confusing thing."
"Tara?" came Willow's voice from the house. "Where are you?"
Tara cringed. "Not everythin' all right in your world, then?"
Spike asked.
She sighed. "Not exactly. I still love her, but…I just don't
know what to do next. She's been good about the magic, but I don't
know how long is enough. A-And I'm punishing me, too, which isn't
fair."
"She's been good," Spike said. "She's been wonderful. And she
misses you. She really has. Give her a second chance, Glinda.
Trust me; the wait has been worth it."
Tara smiled. "Since you've listened to my advice pertaining to
love, I guess it's only fair I listen to yours. I'll give her a
second chance."
"Atta girl," Spike said with a grin.
"Oh, here you are," Willow said, walking outside. "It's awful
cold out here. Wouldn't you two like to come inside, where it's
warmer? I made hot cocoa!" she added quickly, smiling at Tara.
Spike could tell from one glance at her that Willow was a bundle
of emotions herself. Red could hardly contain herself `round
Glinda, yet she was walking on eggshells, trying to be extra careful
to do just the right thing.
"I have an early class tomorrow morning," Tara said softly.
Willow's face fell, though she tried not to show it. "Oh, I'm
sorry. I should've thought about that. I can get you a cup for you
to take it home in," she said, trying to smile.
"I'd rather have it here, if you don't mind," Tara added, a smile
growing on her face.
Willow looked shocked. "But your class…"
"Can wait. This is more important."
A thousand lights shining on her face couldn't have lit Willow up
like her smile did. She was practically glowing. "Really?" she
whispered.
"Really."
The two smiled, before Tara looked over at Spike. "You coming?"
"Why not. I'll hang `round and see if the lil' one needs me
anymore tonight."
"That was good work with her, telling her the story and all,"
Willow said, grinning at him. "What better to combat her fears then
to raise her courage?"
Spike nodded his agreement, and the three headed indoors. "So,
you want to come to the park with us tomorrow?" Willow asked.
Spike looked at her as if she were one banana short of a
bunch. "Uh, vampire, `member? Can't walk in sunshine, pet."
"We know that. I'd be w-willing to do a spell to shield you, if
you want," Tara said.
"And I could be your conduit! Oh, that is, if you'd want to,"
Willow hastily amended.
Tara nodded, smiling. "I'd like that," she said softly.
Spike smiled at the two. He was glad they were back together
again. "Then I s'pose I'd be willin' to give it a go," he said,
grinning.
"Are you staying the night?" Dawn asked, coming out on to the
porch.
Spike looked surprised, before she quickly added. "You seem to be
the only one that can calm her down. I just thought…well…never
mind," Dawn said, sighing.
"I'll watch her," Spike said softly.
Dawn looked up, a surprised smile lighting her face. "Thanks,"
she said, before rolling her eyes. "My sister has a voice, and you
seem to be the only one that can bring it down to a safe level."
Spike chuckled, following the ladies in. "Ironic, isn't it…"

< --- >

Tara had just finished putting the shield spell on Spike when
Buffy came down the stairs, rubbing at her sleepy eyes. "Hey,
kitten," he said, smiling at her. "Sleep better?"
Buffy looked up, surprised. "Aren't vampires s'posed to be awake
during the night and sleepy during the day?"
Spike chuckled and nodded. "That's right."
"But…you're here, and you're awake. How come?"
"He stayed to make sure you were okay, sweetie," Tara said,
putting away her herbs.
"You…you stayed?" Buffy said slowly.
Spike frowned but nodded. She was getting that weird look in her
eyes again… "I stayed," he said, trying to smile.
The next thing he knew, his arms were full of Buffy. "Nobody ever
stays," she whispered.
Spike looked up at Tara, whose eyes were wide with shock. 'Don't
push,' she mouthed. He nodded.
"Well, we do," he said, pulling back. "We promise."
Buffy smiled, then started laughing. "I'm so glad I have
friends!" she said, wrapping her arms around Spike again.
"Buffy? You want waffles for breakfast?" Dawn's voice called.
"Yeah!" Buffy said, hurrying towards the kitchen. "With lotsa
surryup!"
Spike turned to Tara. "What could be wrong?" she asked, looking
towards the kitchen. "It's more then just nightmares. I'm getting
seriously worried now."
"Me too," he said, frowning. "Me too."

< --- >

They arrived at the park close to noon, Buffy skipping and
chatting, all the while leading the way. Spike looked up at the
sun, not able to believe they'd actually done this for him. Sure,
it only lasted for one day, but he would make it count. He could
feel tears stinging his eyes as he looked around the playground.
"So, where do you want to play first? The swings are always fun,"
Xander suggested.
"No thank you," Buffy said suddenly. All heads whipped to see her
slinking away slowly. She was no longer chatting and laughing
happily.
"How about the slide, then?" Anya said. "Everyone likes slides."
Buffy winced. "No."
"The see-saw?" Tara asked.
"No."
Willow looked around. "The playground?"
"No."
"How about that little beam over there?" Dawn pleaded.
"No."
"Why not?" Dawn demanded, getting tired of hearing that small word
again and again.
"Because I'm a…a…"
"Yellow-belly?"
Buffy nodded miserably as Xander guessed.
Spike knelt down in front of her. This had to end. "What are you
so afraid of, Buffy?" he asked.
She looked down. "'Fraid of falling. I'm scared of heights."
Spike smiled at her. "Don't worry `bout it, luv. I'll catch you
if you fall."
She looked unsure. "Well…"
"We'll back him up. You won't touch the ground."
Buffy looked up at Xander, then at Spike. "Promise?" she asked,
biting her bottom lip.
"Promise," he said. "Though you've gotta stop chewin' that lip.
Can't be that tasty."
Buffy stared, before she started giggling. "Okay," she said,
grinning from ear to ear. "I promise this time."
He grinned back. "Good. Let's tackle that beam then."
Buffy looked over at the beam, before back at Spike. "Okay," she
said, still looking unsure.
The Scoobies headed over to the beam, which actually wasn't that
large. Dawn could've taken the thing in two strides, and it barely
came up to Spike's knee. But to someone as small as Buffy, it could
look like the Grand Canyon, for all he knew.
He took her hand and helped her up. "Good luck," he said, letting
go of her hand.
She glanced at him, panicked. "I can't walk across this! I need
your help! I'll fall!"
Her bottom lip began to quiver, and Spike hastened to her
side. "Don't worry, kitten. I'll be right here. You won't fall, I
promise."
She nodded, grimacing. She surveyed the beam's length, took a
deep breath, and began to walk across, gymnast style.
Spike stayed true to his word, matching his pace to hers, standing
by her the whole time. He had his hands at his side, a smile
blooming on his face.
"He really does love her, doesn't he?"
All eyes turned to Xander with surprise. "Umm…yeah," Dawn said,
looking at him funny. "You okay?"
"He really does love her," Xander said in awe.
Anya was about to comment somewhere along the lines of `duh!' when
Tara stopped her.
Buffy, meanwhile, was getting a little more confident. She began
to smile as she continued across the beam. She was almost there...
She placed her right foot down, but it slipped and almost slid off
the beam. The smile vanished as she fought to stay on the bar.
With a small shriek she began to fall. She squeezed her eyes shut,
not wanting to see the impact.
Spike was still watching, however. With quick vampiric abilities
he had her in his arms in less then two seconds.
A few moments passed before Buffy realized she hadn't hit the
ground. She peeked with her right eye, the left one still tightly
shut.
She found Spike smiling down at her. "I promised you, didn't I?"
Her eyes widened. "You caught me," she said breathlessly.
"I always will," he promised.
Suddenly she was laughing, and her laughter was music to his
ears. He began to spin her around, eliciting more giggles from the
girl. His girl. It didn't matter if she was small or grown-up: she
would always be his girl.